New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady was "generally aware" that his locker room staff deflated footballs after they were examined by a referee during the Jan. 18 American Football Conference Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, a league-sanctioned investigation into the incident found.

"We have concluded that it is more probable than not that Jim McNally (the Officials Locker Room attendant for the Patriots) and John Jastremski (an equipment assistant for the Patriots) participated in a deliberate effort to release air from Patriots game balls after the balls were examined by the referee," said a report on the incident, dubbed "DeflateGate."

"Based on the evidence, it also is our view that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady (the quarterback for the Patriots) was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls," it said.

The Patriots defeated the Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship, and went on to win the Super Bowl. Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP.

The National Football League began its investigation following the AFC Championship game. The Colts complained that several footballs were under-inflated, and the NFL confirmed that 11 of the 12 footballs were under the limit. The investigation started as the Patriots were preparing for the Super Bowl, which they won two weeks later.

Footballs with less pressure can be easier to grip and catch. Some quarterbacks prefer footballs that have less air. The NFL requires balls to be inflated between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, and each team is responsible for the balls it uses on offense.

Brady said he prefers footballs inflated to 12.5 pounds per square inch. On many occasions, Brady said he never asked for balls to be deflated outside of the rules. He denied DeflateGate's swirling accusations — many of them fans calling the star a cheater — in a ballsy January press conference.

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